The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special programmes Geoffrey Ruku, known for his surprise inspections of public sector offices, made a visit to Embu County on Tuesday, stopping at the Eastern Regional Headquarters and several other government offices.

During the morning tour, the CS interacted with staff while inspecting the headquarters’ infrastructure and departmental operations.

He later visited the Huduma Centre, sampling services and engaging with employees to assess efficiency. It was during these interactions that Ruku discovered some staff arriving late to work. In a swift response, he temporarily locked them out of their workstations and issued an impromptu lecture on workplace discipline.

Despite rains affecting parts of Embu, Ruku showed no leniency toward the tardy employees. At one point, he gathered the staff in a parking lot to emphasize the importance of punctuality and professionalism. Speaking on the crackdown, Ruku noted that these spot checks would continue across government offices nationwide as part of ongoing efforts to curb laxity in the public sector.

“I have conducted inspections in Nyeri, Mombasa, and Nakuru, and I will continue to do spot checks across the Republic of Kenya,” said Ruku. “Most of us in public service do not wake up at the same time. The private sector is working hard for this economy, but some of us are not doing our part.”

While praising Huduma Centre services, Ruku specifically flagged the Ministry of Education offices in Embu County for instances of poor work discipline. He urged civil servants to adhere to the Human Resource Procedures and Manual of 2016, which outlines expected standards for professionalism, ethics and performance.

He further warned that the government would adopt a tougher stance against employees exhibiting poor attitudes in the workplace.

To further tackle inefficiency, Ruku revealed that the government is finalizing a new application to monitor employees’ productivity in real time, set to be launched by the end of October. The app will be mandatory for all civil servants and those who fail to report to work consistently and on time risk being classified as “ghost workers.”

Ruku’s ongoing inspections demonstrate a continued commitment by the Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes to enhance accountability and performance among Kenya’s public servants.